Towel cabinet



y 1932- s. A. SCLHWARTZ ,860,207

` TOWEL CABINET Filed Nov. "12. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l May 24, 1932.

s. A. scHwARTz' TOWEL CABINET Filed Nov. 12, 1931- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES sin/mm; A. SCI-IWARTZ, OF sr; PAUL, MINNESOTA TOWEL CABINET Application fi led November 12, 1931. Serial No. 574 493.

This nvention relates to towel cabinets.

'It is thegeneral object of this invention to provide a' novel and improved towel cabinet adapted for eflicient use in lavatories and the like.

To this end, generally stated, the invention consists in thenovel parts and novel combinationsof parts hereinafter defined in the claims and described in the followingspeoifiil& cat ion, made in connection with the accompanying drawings, wheren like reference characters refer to the same or similar parts throughout the various views and in` which,

F ig. 1 is a vertical section taken from front torear through a towel cabinet embodying the invention with toweling in place theren;

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of'the cabinet with the door opened, only a portion ,V of the door being shown' and the toweling be- J ing removed from the cabinet; i u Fig. 3 is a View in outer side elevation of one of the side frames of the cabinet;

Fig; 4 is a View in 'outer side elevation of a 4 a portion of the other of the side frames;

F ig. 5 is a detailed View in outer` side elevation of the mechanism for controlling the delivery of toweling from the cabinet, a portion of the door of the cabinet being shown in vertical section;

Fig. 6 is a similar view showing mechanism in a different position;

' Fig. 7 is a View in inner'side elevation of the bolt forming a part of the said mecha nism; and i F ig. 8 is a view in inner end elevation of this same bolt,

4 In accordance with the invention, there provided a casing 9 of rectangular shape and having an open front normally closed by a door 10 mounted on hinges lOa Secured to the forward edge of one side of the casing. The casing 9 has solid side s, top and back and it is partly closed at its bottom 'by means of M a slat 11, the forward edge of which is spaced rearwardly slightly from the front of the casing to provide a slot 12 between the for ward edge of the slat and the door 10 when the door is closed. The real-'edge of the slat 11 is spaced forwardly some distance from the back of the casing to form quite this same a large opening 13 in the bottom of. thecas ing. The door 10 may be equipped with a mirror 1 1, as is usual in towelcabinets, and eyes 15 may be Secured to the upper portion of the back of the casing to permit the cabinet to be hung on a wall or the like. A pair of side frames 16 and 17 respectively, are provided and these side frames are similarly formed With the exception that one of the side frames, as the side frane 16, is adapted. for use at the right side of the casing and the other of the side frames 17 'is `adapted for use at the left side of the casing. Each' side frame extends from the bottom of the casing to adjacent the top thereof and the side frame '16 fits against and is Secured to the right side of the casing, While 'the other side frame 17 fits against and is secured to the left side of the casing Both side frames- F have outturned flanges at the four' edges thereof and their body'portions are therefore spaced inwardly somewhat from the sides of the 'casing Adjacent their lower edges, the two side frames have horizontal guide slots 18 formed therein, which eXtend from front to rear of the'casing; A sliding trough 19 has side fianges 20 ?which fit with in the guide slots 18 to permit the trough to be slid forwardly through the' front opening of the casing 9 when the door 10 is opened, Q

while' also permitting the trough 19 to be slid` rea 'rwardly to such a point that thefront of the trough will not project beyond the for ward edge of the slat 11. -The trough 19 'as' best shown-'in Fig. 1, has a concave uppe-r portion within which a roll 21 of clean towelf ing A may be supported. The'back part of the concave portion of the trough 19 projectsconsiderably above the front part of t ie con cave portion. trough 19 is rounded as shown at 22 and When the door 10 is closed, this rounded rar The lower rear edgeof the Q edge 22 will be forced rearwardly so thatit is spaced closely from the back of the bas ing, A pair of rubber pins 23 Secured to the rear side of the door 10 adj acent the two edges" thereof engage the front of the troughf19" when the door is closed to hold the" trough in extreme rearwardly slid position under slight `resilent tension. Spaced above the bottom of the trough 19 and secured to or formed integral with the trough, lS a horizontal, rearwardly progecting nterlocking memi ber 24, preferably having a rounded rear edge. In the embodiment of the invention shown, the trough 19 is shown as being formed from sheet metal and the sheet metal is reversely bent on itself to form the interlocking member 24. For cooperation with the interlocking member 2 1, there lS secured to 'the back of the casing as channeled, horizontal interlocking member 25. which maybe also formed of sheet metal. VVhenthe trough 19 is rea'wardly slid in the casing, it will be seen thatthe interlocking member 24; will fit within the channel of the interlocking member 25, so as to substantially fill'the channel therein. It is, of course, obvious that if desired, the male intel-looking member 24 may be applied to the back of the casing, while the ;female interlocking member 25 may be applied to the. trough 19.

The trunnions of a sandpaper covered, clean towel feed roller 26 are ournaled in the 'two side frames 16 and 17 adjacent the forward edges thereof and' above the' position of the clean towel roll 21. This roller also located above the upper edge of the trough 19, so that the trough may be removed v from the casing 9, while the roller 26 remains in place. For cooperation with the roller 26, there is provided a pinch roll 27 .having trunnions Journaled in 'the side frames 16 and 17' soiled towel feed roller 28 and theseslots project vertically for some distance and they i then project' horizontally to the forward edges of the side frames A soiled towel takeup roller 30 has trunnions which t with'n the angular slots 29 and this roller' together with whatever toweling A that is wound thereon, rests by gravity against the feed roller 28. Sprockets 31and 32respectively are Secured to the left trunnions of the-vrespectivefeed rollers 26 and' 28, between the side frame 17 .and the left side of the casng p over the two sprockets31 and 32.

i uu

9, and an' endless sprocketchain 33 is trained M'ounted on the right hand trim-mon *of the soiled towel feed roller 28 between ,the side 'frame 16 and the right: side of casing 9, is a disk 34, .best illustrated 'in' F-igs. 5 and6. -A pair of outwardly projectin'g pins 35 and 36 respectively are secure-d ,to thi-s disk 34 and in the particular arrangement shown, the pin 35 is readly spaced Closer to the center of the disk than is the pin 36 and the pin 36 is located in circumferentially spaced relation from the pin 35 a number of degrees in advance of the pin 35 relative to the normal direction of rotation of the disk 34. Secured to e the side frame 16 betweentheside frame and the right side of casing 9, is a channel shaped guide ca'sing 37 horizontally dsposed and having an inturned fiange at its forward end. A sli'ding bolt 38 is mounted within thechannel of the guide casing 37 for sliding move- 'nentforwardly and reawardly therein, and

this bolt has a forwardly projecting pin 39 which extends' through a notchin the inturned forward flange of the guide casing 37 and also through an opening in thef orward tlange of the -sideframe 1'6. e The door lOhas anopenng 40 cuttherein adapted to bealined with the pin 39 when the door is closed, and the -door is recessed to enlarge opening 40 at the two sides of the door, to accommodate a shouldered ,push button 11, the sliding.. move ment of which is limited in one direction by the shoulder of the push button and is limited in the other direction by ascrew tla preventing the push buttonfrom being completely removed from the opening. 40. A coiled pressure spring 42 bears at one-:end against the-inturned forwardfiange of guidecasng 37and this springsurrounds the .pin 39 and "is an-` chored at its other end to 'the pin 'This v spring accordingly, normally urges the bolt 38 forwardly or toward the'front of the casing. When' the door 10 :is closed, the possible forward movement of the' bolt 38 'is limited by engagement between the forward end of the pin 39 and thescrewc l la of the push button &1.- VVh-en'-the door lOisopened, furi ther forward movement of the bolt is possible,

this movement being limited only byengagement of the forward end of the bolt proper `with the inturned forward fiange of the guide -casing 37. The bolt 38 and pin 39 are of such length and are so disposedrelative to the disk 34 that whenthe door 10-:is closed, the lower rear cornerof the bolt will .overlie the upper V forward portion of the disk, {the inner` rear corner ofthe bolt being .cut away a t 38a to receive "this portion of the-disk. ,A deeper cut or channel 38?) is also madein 'the lower rear corner of the bolt to formtwo shoulders 380 and 38l spaced from each otheronthe bolt.- The channel 38?) is of sufficient depth 'to permit the pi ns 35 'and 36 to passthrough this channel without striking the bolt 3 8, if the pins 35 and 36 happen tobe alined with this channel. as the disk 34; is rotate d.. The

s houlders 380 and .3863 are so positioned relative to the pins 35 and '36 that when the door 10 is closed and the push button'tlis forwardly eXtended toits extreme positiomas shown inFig; 5, the shoulder 380 will be inthe path of movement ofthe pin35, andthe pin' 36, when the pin 35 engages .the shoulder 55 cabinet to carry the free end of the toweling 380, will be in the path of movement- 'of the shoulder 3803 as the bolt 38 is slid rearwardly by pressing the push button 41. Assuming the parts are in position as shown in Fig. 5, rotation of the disk 34 and of thefeed rollers 26 and 28 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in F igs. 5 and 3, will be prevented by the engagement of pin 35 with shoulder 386. As the push button 41 is pressed inwardly, the shoulder 38d will strike the pin36 andthereby rotate the disk 34 for a short distance. The channel 386 is so placed relative to the pin 35, that as this, occurs the shoulder 380 will be carried rearwardly beyond the pin 35 and the pin 35 will be swung to the position shown in Fig. 6 within the channel 3.86; Of course, shortly after the parts have taken the position shown in Fig. 6, the spring 42 upon release of the push button 41, will move the bolt 38 back to its original position as shown in Fig. 5, but the pin 35 will no longer engage t be possible to rotate the disk 34 through nearly a complete revolution, or until the pin 35 again strikes the lower side of the shoulder 386. During this latter movement, the pin 36 will freely pass through the channel 38?) of the bolt, to again assume its original position as shown in Fig. 5. If the door 10 should be opened, the spring 42 will immedi ately move the bolt 35 forwardly to such a position that the lower rear corner of the bolt will not overlie the disk 34 and as a result, it will be perfectly possible to rotate the disk without intereference by the bolt 38 when the door 10 is open,

To fill the cabinet and set it up ready for use, the door 10 will be first opened whereupon the trough 19 will be grasped and slid forwardly. A roll 21 of cleantoweling A may then be deposited within the trough, whereupon the free end of the toweling A will be grasped and carried up over the clean towel feed roll 26 to a point between the roll 26 and the pinch roll 27. As the bolt 38 with the door open is projected forwardly beyond the disk 34, it is possible to freely rotate both feed rolls 26 and 28 without interference by the bolt 38 and the web of toweling A may be readily threaded between the clean towel feed roll 26 and the pinch roll 27 by turning the feed roll 28 by hand in v the direction shown by the arrow adjacent thereto in aFig. l. The web of toweling after being threaded between the two rolls 26 and 27 will be carried over the pinch roll 27 and thence downwardly forward of the front of the trough 19 and the front edge of the slat 12. A considerable quantity of the toweling A will now be drawn from the clean towel roll 21 to form a loop of toweling of the desired length below the cabinet. As the trough 19 is slid forwardly at this time, from the back of the casing, it will now be easy for the person filling the ne shoulder 380 and as a result, it Will A through the opening 13 and upwardly between the back of the casing and the rear part of the trough 19. After this has been done, the free end of the toweling A will be carried above the soiled towel feed roll-28, whereupon if desired, the' soiled' towel take-up roll 30 may be removed from the slots29 and the free end of the towelingcan bewound upon j this roll 30. The roll 30 can then be reinserted in place within the Slots 29 so that this roll, together with whatever toweling is wound thereon, rests directly upon the soiled towel feedroll 28. The trough 19 maynow be slid rearwardly to cause the interlocking'member 24 to be received within theichannel of the interlocking member 25 and thereby frictionally clamp the toweling at this point between these members. The door` 10 maynow be closed, whereupon therubber pins 33 bearing upon the front of the trough 19 will maintain the trough in its rearwardly slid` position.

The cabinet is now ready for use. A loop of toweling A will' extend from the slot 12 at the forward portion of the bottom of the draw downwardly on the front run of the depending loop of toweling. Asthe pushbut ton 41 is pressed, assuming that rotation of the feed rollers 26 and 28 has hitherto been impossible by engagement of the pin 35 with the'shoulder 380 of the'bolt 38, the disk 34` Will be given a short initial rotation by engagement of the shoulder 38d with the pin 36 as has been above explained, whereupon the i disk 34 will be unlocked or released to permit the free rotation of the disk 34 and the two rollers 26 and 28 through the balance of a complete revolution as the front run of the loop of toweling A is" drawn downwardly. As the movement 'of the towelingA occurs, the same quantity of toweling that is dra-wn from the clean towel roll 21 will be wound upon thesoiled towel take-up roller 30.' i The two interlockng members 24 and 25 place sufiicient fricton onthe towel web, prior` to its passage to the soiled towel take-up roller 30, that the toweling will not overrun on the takeup roller as the operator ceas'es to pull the toweling. As a result, the soiled toweling will be evenly wound onto the roller 30 and it will be tightly wound thereon. After the operator has pulled downwardly on the front run of the depending loop of toweling A for a short time, the pin 35 willvbe rotated to such a position that it again engages the shoulder 380 whereupon further movement of the feed rollers 26 and 28 and further dispensation of clean portions of 'the toweling will be prevented until the'nush button 41 is again pressed inwardly.

of the cabinet between which the toweling eX- tencls, said interlockng means being adapted to clamp the toweling therebetween when said sliding member is in rearwardly slid position, said door when closed preventing forward sliding movement of said slding member.

5. A towel cabinet comprisng a casing having a front opening a door normally closing said opening, said casing having a hand receiving opening at its bottom near its back, a trough within which a roll of clean toweling may be held and slidably mountecl below the soiled towel take-up means for forward extension through said front opening when the door is open, said trough having a horizontal lower portion of approxmately the same width as the depth of the cabinet, which lower portion when the trough is rearwardly slid closes off the major portion of said hand receiving opening, said trough having a portion at its lower rear edge normally disposed adjacent the back of the casing, means for delivering clean toweling downwardly from said casing adjacent the front thereof, means above said trough for taking up the soiled toweling, whereby the toweling may depend below the bottom of the cabinet in a loop and extend upwardly to said take-up means between the back of the casing and said trough and a pair of cooperating interlockng members mounted respectively on said trough and the back of the casing and between which the toweling extends, said interlocking members actng to frictionally grip the toweling prior to its passage to said take-up means.

6. A towel cabinet comprisng a casing having a loading opening, a door normally closing said opening, means for holding a supply of clean toweling within said casing, a clean towel feed rollerover which the toweling may be drawn for dispensation, a soiled towel take-up roller within said casing-,and to which the soiled toweling may be carried, a soiled towel feed roller for Operating said take-up roller, means connecting said feed rollers together for simultaneous rotation, mcchanism including an actuating member for locking said feed rollers against movement when said door is closed and permitting a limited movement of said feed rollers as said actuating member is operated, said mechanism being automatically disengaged from said feed rollers when said door is opened.

7. In a towel cabinet, a casing having a loading opening, a door normally closing said opening, a feed roller over which toweling may be drawn as toweling is clispensed from the cabinet, mechanism, including an actuating member, held in position by said door when closed to normally prevent rotation of said roller but permitting rotation of said roller as said actuating member is operated, said mechanism when the 'door V is opened being moved to a position to permit said roller to be freely rotated without operating said actuating member. e

8. In a towel cabinet, a casing having a clean towel loading opening therein, a door normally closing said opening, means for supporting a quantityof clean toweling within the casing, a feed roller over which the toweling must travel during the dispensing movement thereof, a member noving with said roller, a bolt slidablymounted in the cabinet and having an outer, a medial and an inner position, an actuatingmember for said bolt, resilient means urging said bolt to outer position, said door actuating member to hold said'bolt normally in its' medial position, said bolt having a portion which when said bolt is in its medial position lies in the path of movement of said first mentioned member, said portion when sad bolt s 111 ts nner and outer positons being out of the path of movement of said first i mentioned member, whereby as said door is opened, said bolt will be moved to its outer position to permit free rotation of said roller as the cabinet is loaded. i

9. A towel cabinet comprising a casing having a front opening, a door normally closin'g 7 said opening, means for holding a quantity oftoweling within said casing, a feed roller` over which the toweling must run as it is dispensed, detent means slidably mounted in said casing, a member located near said detent means and mounted for rotation with said roller, said door when closed holding `said detent means normally in the path of movement of said member, resilient means urging said detent means outwardly beyond the path of movement of said member said detent means including an actuating member for moving said detent means inwardly out of the path ofmovement of said member when said door is closed, said resilient means moving said detent means outwardly beyond the path of movement of said member when said door llC is opened to permit free rotation of said roller V as the cabinet is loaded.

10. A towel cabinet comprisng a casing, means for holding a quantity of toweling within said casing, a feed roller over which the toweling must run as it is dispensed, a

member mounted for rotation with said feed roller, a pair of projections carried by said member and spaccd from each other, a bolt slidably mounted in said casing for extension to and from said member, resilient means urging .said bolt away from said` member,

said bolt having a pair of spaced shoulders y so disposed relative to said projections that when' one of said projections 'engages one shoulder of said bolt, the other projection will lie in the path of inward movement of the remaining shoulderand as saidibolt is slid inwardly, the first projection will be carried beyond a point Where. it Will engage the first mentioned shoulder', means norma-Hy holding said bolt in a, position where said first mentioned projection` WH strike: said first mentioned shoulder as said member' is rotated,' said last mentioned means being capableof v disengagement from said bolt to Permit the said'resilient means to move said bo'lt'to such I la position that neither' shoulder engage either of said projections during rotati'on of said roller;

11. The structure defin'ed incl aim 10, said last mentioned means comprsing ;t door normally closing a towelloadng'openi-ng insai-d casing;

In testmoiiy Whereof I affix. my signature; i SAMUEL A. SCHWARTZ. 

